If we were tell you about a 22 acre rural idyll, complete with resident barn owls, red kites, buzzing beehives nearby, and a waterlily-flecked pond that's home to herons, chances are you'd place this bucolic haven in some far-flung corner of the country. Well, we're delighted to say that you can find this perfect patch of pastoral paradise in the Home County of Bedfordshire. With the Big Smoke just an hour down the road, this is the ideal destination for world-weary Londoners looking to get away from the hullabaloo of city life.
Opened in Spring 2018, Re:treat Glamping provides a luxury countryside getaway for those looking to reconnect with nature in the reinvigorating air of the Bedfordshire countryside. As friendly host Jo Baxter envisions, "imagine watching a beautiful sunset whilst toasting yummy marshmallows and sipping on a mug of warm cocoa; watching swallows dance above the pond from the jetty; spending quality time with your nearest and dearest with nature as your backdrop…".
Comprising a single, self-contained safari lodge for seven, Re:treat Glamping is very much at the high-end of the comfortable camping spectrum. The luxury lodge sits atop a spacious wooden veranda from which to enjoy the views. Inside, a large wood-burning stove inhabits the hub of the open plan kitchen, featuring butler sink with copper taps. The dining and lounge areas provide ample space, while two separate bedrooms host a four poster and triple bunk bed between them. An additional cot bed can also be provided and a quirky king size ‘den bed’ adjoins the living area, with space underneath for storage, playing, or den making. To the rear of the lodge, two private bathrooms house the toilet and shower respectively – the latter provides piping hot water and a picture frame window so you can enjoy the scenery while you soak.
Despite its proximity to the capital, you're still very much immersed in countryside life here – you know you're in the great outdoors when you're warned to watch your step for rabbit holes. The exclusive nature of the off-grid accommodation means that glampers have the run of the vast grounds too, with countless different pockets of the sprawling smallholding, each offering a new perspective. The old orchard is a grassed area surrounded by mature trees that's perfect for a game of rounders (kit and kaboodle provided), while the spinney behind is prime den-building real estate. For a bit of 'me time', seek out the pond-side summerhouse and while away the day in the rocking chair, lost in a good book. You can even bring your rod along and fish for carp, tench and rudd in the pond (permits available upon booking). And when it's time to explore, the footpath running through the dew pond field offers access to the surrounding villages of Pulloxhill, Silsoe, Flitton and beyond.